The H5N1 bird flu virus has mutated to infect people more easily, although it still has not transformed into a pandemic strain, researchers said on Thursday.
The changes are worrying, said Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“We have identified a specific change that could make bird flu grow in the upper respiratory tract of humans,” said Kawaoka, who led the study.

How deadly is bird flu when it infects humans?

The H5N1 avian flu virus, which mostly infects birds, has since 2003 infected 329 people in 12 countries, killing 201 of them.

We urgently need to get competent people in charge of our government. The conservatives we have now, if bird flu becomes pandemic, will most likely propose tax breaks for private jet buyers hoping to fly away from the problem.